Mom's Christmas Socks

Here they are, on my brand new spiffy sock blockers (thanks to my brothers!)
Pattern: 8 Stitches per inch Socks by Ann Budd
Yarn: Zwerger Garn Opal Harry Potter in Tonks
Needle: size 1.5, circular
Date Started: December 21, 2008
Date Finished: December 28, 2008
Comments: Love the pattern of the yarn. My first socks for someone else. I hope my mom enjoys them.

Finished Mom's Socks

I finished them yesterday. Only three days after Christmas, and I think she was willing to wait. Photos coming soon.

What's my next project? A pair of Monkeys for my trip to Kenya.

Christmas Eve Morning

And I have 3.75 socks done. Too bad that .5 of a sock is one I wasn't planning on knitting until after Christmas. Oh well, as long as I've finished the first sock for my mom and started the second, I'll be happy giving that to her tomorrow.

For now, my finished pair of Christmas socks. Sorry the pictures are so horrendous. The lighting is really bad right now.

Pattern: Holiday Lace: Candy Cane Socks by the Knit Picks Design Team
Yarn: Knit Picks Essential in Burgundy
Needle: size 2, DPN
Date Started: December 11, 2008
Date Finished: December 19, 2008
Comments: Love the yarn. Very fun, rewarding pattern. Might try a 1 or 1.5 next time, although they aren't as baggy as they look from the picture.

A detail shot of the candy canes:

Progress

Sorry, no pictures today, but I have been making progress on my 4 1/2 socks in 14 days goal. I have also finished the half sock and I'm past the gusset decreases on the second candy cane sock. I cannot wait to wear them on Christmas. We are supposed to get a whammy of a snowstorm today, so I'm pretty sure I can finish the second candy cane sock and maybe even start my mom's socks tonight.

mmm, knitting by the fire drinking a glass of red wine. I don't think there's a better way to spend a winter evening.

It seems like there are storms all over the country, so please stay warm and safe.

4 1/2 Socks in 14 Days

That's my goal. I started the 11th, and my goal is to finish two pairs of socks plus a half sock (I finished the heal lap) that's already on the needles I need for one of the other pairs of socks.

So far, I have completed one sock. It is the Holiday Lace Socks Pattern, Candy Cane Version in Knit Picks Essential. I do not know why, but I had it in my head I was not going to like this yarn. In fact, I love it. It is so soft and slides off the needles very easily, which is important for a tight knitter like me. The stitch definition is fantastic. My only complaint would be that it is a little too solid. My personal preference is hand-dyed over commercial yarns. That is not Knit Picks' fault though; it is a commercial yarn after all.

I am hoping to finish that half sock tonight and tomorrow. If I can do that, I might actually be on track to reach my goal.

I'm a Loopy Groupie!

I got my sixth package from The Loopy Ewe today, so I am now officially a Loopy Groupie! I highly recommend them. Not only do they have all the latest and greatest yarn, but the customer service is unbeatable. They really spoil you over there. Look what I got in my Groupie package:

Besides the cute bag, Loopy Kisses (Hershey's kisses), and a calendar there was also a skein of Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn and a free pattern! The other skein of yarn is Yarntini, which is the only thing in the picture I paid for.

I Might Be Bored of Them, But I Finished Another Pair of Socks

Pattern: Super Simple Short Sock by Meghann Holcomb
Yarn: KUAS Fingering Weight Peruvian Wool, "Jellybean" colorway
Needle: size 1, circular
Date Started: November ?, 2008
Date Finished: December 10, 2008
Comments: Easy pattern. I made the cuff 10 rows instead of 5, and I prefer that. The heel flap is a little weird- rectangular. I would do a normal heel flap next time.

I'm Bored of Socks

Maybe it's because I have three pairs of socks on the needles and I have two more pairs that I want to get done by Christmas. Whatever it is, I don't want to make any more socks for awhile. The problem is that I want to start using my stash, and my stash is 80% sock yarn.

I've decided to make a deal with myself. For every four projects I finish with stash yarn (three if one is a larger project that takes more than two balls/skeins of yarn), I can buy the yarn for one new project. The catch is that I have to cast on that project immediately so that it doesn't become stash. If I get through all my vacation knitting (which I doubt I will), it means that I'd be able to buy yarn for three new projects. I'm thinking there are some berets in my future.

Now that's incentive.

Some More Weekend Knitting

Well, I didn't make much progress on my final papers, but I did do a lot of knitting this weekend. Besides the black hat, I finished the first Garden KAL sock:

Next, I made another hat.

Pattern: Autumn Rush by Anna Peck
Yarn: KUAS Bulky, "Scarecrow" colorway
Needle: size 10.5 DPN
Date Started: December 6, 2008
Date Finished: December 7, 2008
Comments: Love the pattern, love the yarn. I made two modifications: I didn't add a pom-pom and I did one more decrease row at the crown.

I made a mini neck warmer with the leftover yarn:

Pattern: Cabled Neckwarmer by Jenny Kostka
Yarn: KUAS Bulky, "Scarecrow" colorway
Needle: size 10.5 DPN
Date Started: December 7, 2008
Date Finished: December 7, 2008
Comments: One less pattern repeat than the pattern called for because I ran out of yarn.

A Non-Sock Finished Object

I literally whipped up this hat last night. My hair is a mess, so my Teddy Bear graciously agreed to model.

Here are some detail shots of the spiral decreases (which basically lay flat- yay!) and the lace pattern.


Pattern: Windy City Cap by Jodi Haraldson
Yarn: Knit Picks Andean Silk
Needle: size 7, circular (used magic loop)
Date Started: December 5, 2008
Date Finished: December 5, 2008
Comments: Yarn has awesome stitch definition, even in black. Very fun, easy project. Next time I'd probably go up a needle size because it's a little snug.

A Finished Object

I cannot believe I have not finished anything since the end of October. I guess my starteritis caught up with me.

These have been languishing for too long because a) I hate the yarn and b) I did not have enough of the terrible splitty yarn. I just wanted a pair of socks (they are very nice on) and I refused to spend money buying another ball of this yarn, so I made one of the toes a different color. It really bothers the perfectionist side of me, but no one will see the toes in my shoes, so I guess it is ok.

Pattern: TTL Mystery Sock by Kirsten Kapur
Yarn: Crystal Palace Yarns Panda Cotton Print
Needle: size 1, circular
Date Started: October 7, 2008
Date Finished: December 3, 2008
Comments: Fun pattern, terrible yarn. This pattern takes a lot of yardage. I think if I were to do this pattern again, I would make the leg a little shorter.

Thanksgiving Yarn

I indulged in a little stash enhancement over break. In my defense though, my stepmother bought me half of it. The green Cherry Tree Hill is going to be Baudelaire (Ravelry link) by Cookie A. The white Debbie Bliss will be the Grace Lace Beret I posted I've been dying to make. I think the taupe will be a Liesl unless I find something I want to make in the new Knitty. I'm not sure about the red yet.